Sonauli
(UP): Hundreds of tourists and others travel between
India and Nepal through the Sonauli checkpoint in Uttar
Pradesh. But it is shocking to learn that no proper arrangements
exist here to screen the travellers, the foreigners visiting
India for first time in particular, for any possible swine
flu symptoms. Many of the tourists complained of no medical
check-up facility available at the Indian checkpoint for
the swine flu virus let alone providing Tamiflu or other
medical assistance if anyone is suffering from the disease.
Petra Lorna, a Dutch tourist on returning from Nepal after
a short trip, complained that no doctor was present on
the border. "There was no check up. We came from Nepal
to India. There was no medical doctor to check us," said
Petra Lorna, a tourist from the Netherlands. M Ratanpal,
a Buddhist pilgrim from Sri Lanka, also expressed similar
thoughts. "Today, we are returning to India passing through
the border. There was no medical officer to check our
health," said Ratanapal. On their part, the immigration
officials agreed with the tourists, but blamed it on the
absentee doctors who have not been turning up for duty.
"To check foreigners entering India for the first time
through this border, doctors have been appointed. But
the problem is that they always complain about their job
instead of going about it. So they come on duty on and
off. We have complained to the Chief Medical Officer that
no doctor has been coming in the early shift for the past
9 to 10 days," said Ram Krishna Tripathi, immigration
in-charge, India-Nepal border post, Sonauli. This is incongruent
with arrangements made at other international checkpoints
such as airports where people coming to India are being
screened for the H1N1 virus. Every day, at least 500 individuals
and large groups of foreign tourists enter India from
Nepal to visit Buddhist religious sites. Most of them
happen to be visitors for the first time. Apart from the
tourists from European countries, Sri Lankans and people
from the Far East travel through this international checkpoint
to complete their tour of Buddhist religious circuit spanning
in India and Nepal.-August
13, 2009